The fourth criminal case to affect the former president this year, Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in court in an Atlanta jail on Thursday to answer to allegations related to his attempt to rig the 2020 election.
Trump will have to appear at the Fulton County Jail, where he will be fingerprinted and photographed, just like other criminal offenders in Atlanta. His mug shot will undoubtedly be widely shared by supporters and opponents alike when he runs for the White House again in a November 2024 election.
The Republican former president is accused of influencing state officials to overturn his election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden on 13 criminal counts, including racketeering, which is generally used to pursue organized crime.
The 77-year-old Trump has denied wrongdoing and criticized the case as being politically motivated. He won’t plead guilty during this appearance. He has consented to a $200,000 bond and accepted the bail terms that forbid him from intimidating the 18 other defendants or witnesses in the case.
When Trump will arrive to the prison is unknown. The prison is known for its deplorable circumstances, which have served as the basis for rap songs and a Justice Department probe.
It was also unknown how many of his fans would turn out in the oppressive heat to back him. Following his first criminal prosecution in New York in March, Trump called for nationwide rallies, raising concerns about violent upheaval akin to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
No violent incidents have been reported outside the courthouses where he has been arraigned this year in Manhattan, Miami, or Washington, according to the authorities.
One day after his competitors for the Republican presidential nomination assembled in Milwaukee for their first debate, Trump made a quick trip to the jailhouse. Instead of attending that event, Trump participated in a pre-recorded interview with the conservative commentator Tucker Carlson on X, the website that replaced Twitter.
He claimed that the four charges against him were all frivolous rubbish.
Since his initial indictment, Trump’s advantage in surveys has grown, and his supporters say they think the allegations are politically motivated. However, according to analysts, Trump’s legal troubles may turn off the independent voters he would need to overcome incumbent Joe Biden in a general election showdown after losing to him by 7 million votes in 2020.